GRE Set 7-12

appease

1. pacify or placate (someone) by acceding to their demands.

2. assuage or satisfy (a demand or a feeling).

arbitrary

1. based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system.

2. (of power or a ruling body) unrestrained and autocratic in the use of authority.

archaic

very old or old-fashioned.

clamorous

1. making a loud and confused noise.

2. expressing or characterized by vehement protests or demands.

dearth

a scarcity or lack of something.

explicable

able to be accounted for or understood.

hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

immutable

unchanging over time or unable to be changed.

indefatigable

(of a person or their efforts) persisting tirelessly.

indolent

1. wanting to avoid activity or exertion; lazy.

2. (of a disease or condition) causing little or no pain.

insular

ignorant of or uninterested in cultures, ideas, or peoples outside one's own experience.

intransigent

unwilling or refusing to change one's views or to agree about something.

intrepid

fearless; adventurous (often used for rhetorical or humorous effect).

irreverent

showing a lack of respect for people or things that are generally taken seriously.

loathe

feel intense dislike or disgust for.

malign

1. evil in nature or effect.

2. speak about (someone) in a spitefully critical manner.

malleable

easily influenced; pliable.

neophyte

1. a person who is new to a subject or activity.

2. a new convert to a religion.

plastic

1. not genuine; artificial or unnatural.

2. (of a substance or material) easily shaped or moulded.

platitude

a remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful.

prescient

having or showing knowledge of events before they take place.

pristine

in its original condition; unspoilt.

reproach

express to (someone) one's disapproval of or disappointment in their actions.

robust

1. strong and healthy; vigorous.

2. (of wine or food) strong and rich in flavour or smell.

salubrious

1. health-giving; healthy.

2. (of a place) pleasant; not run-down.

sanction

1. a threatened penalty for disobeying a law or rule.

2. official permission or approval for an action.

sedulous

(of a person or action) showing dedication and diligence.

soporific

tending to induce drowsiness or sleep.

stern

(of a person or their manner) serious and unrelenting, especially in the assertion of authority and exercise of discipline.

tendentious

expressing or intending to promote a particular cause or point of view, especially a controversial one.

accentuate

make more noticeable or prominent.

conjectural

based on or involving conjecture.

convivial

friendly, lively, and enjoyable.

decadent

characterized by or reflecting a state of moral or cultural decline.

egregious

outstandingly bad; shocking.

evanescent

soon passing out of sight, memory, or existence; quickly fading or disappearing.

flamboyant

1. (of a person or their behaviour) tending to attract attention because of their exuberance, confidence, and stylishness.
2. bright, colourful, and very noticeable.

forestall

prevent or obstruct (an anticipated event or action) by taking advance action.

gainsay

deny or contradict (a fact or statement).

galvanize

1. shock or excite (someone) into taking action.
2. coat (iron or steel) with a protective layer of zinc.

indiscriminate

done at random or without careful judgement.

innocuous

not harmful or offensive.

momentary

lasting for a very short time; brief.

mundane

1. lacking interest or excitement; dull.
2. of this earthly world rather than a heavenly or spiritual one.

nettlesome

causing annoyance or difficulty.

nullify

make legally null and void; invalidate.

obviate

1. remove (a need or difficulty).
2. avoid or prevent (something undesirable).

omnipresent

widely or constantly encountered; widespread.

oust

drive out or expel (someone) from a position or place.

palpable

1. (of a feeling or atmosphere) so intense as to seem almost tangible.
2. able to be touched or felt.

perfidy

the state of being deceitful and untrustworthy.

profuse

(especially of something offered or discharged) very plentiful; abundant.

pugnacious

eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight.

sagacious

having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgement; wise or shrewd.

sanguine

optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation.

scant

barely sufficient or adequate.

skulduggery

underhand, unscrupulous, or dishonest behaviour or activities.

trivial

of little value or importance.

utilitarian

1. designed to be useful or practical rather than attractive.
2. relating to or adhering to the doctrine of utilitarianism.

vapid

offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging; bland.

boorish

rough and bad-mannered; coarse.

brook

to tolerate; to endure; to countenance

circumspect

wary and unwilling to take risks.

comity

1. an association of nations for their mutual benefit.
2. courtesy and considerate behavior towards others.

commensurate

corresponding in size or degree; in proportion.

cordial

1. warm and friendly.
2. strongly felt.

deleterious

causing harm or damage.

dichotomy

a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.

edify

instruct or improve (someone) morally or intellectually.

elicit

evoke or draw out (a reaction, answer, or fact) from someone.

erudite

having or showing great knowledge or learning.

fecund

producing or capable of producing an abundance of offspring or new growth; highly fertile.

feeble

1. lacking physical strength, especially as a result of age or illness.
2. lacking strength of character.
3. failing to convince or impress.

felicitous

1. well chosen or suited to the circumstances..
2. pleasing and fortunate.

forbear

politely or patiently restrain an impulse to do something; refrain.

haphazard

lacking any obvious principle of organization.

hodgepodge

a confused mixture; a hotchpotch.

impede

delay or prevent (someone or something) by obstructing them; hinder.

impetuous

acting or done quickly and without thought or care.

irascible

having or showing a tendency to be easily angered.

mercenary

1. primarily concerned with making money at the expense of ethics.
2. a professional soldier hired to serve in a foreign army.

meticulous

showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise.

mordant

especially of humor) having or showing a sharp or critical quality; biting.

outstrip

move faster than and overtake (someone else)./exceed

precarious

not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse.

quirky

having or characterized by peculiar or unexpected traits or aspects.

repudiate

1. refuse to accept; reject.
2. deny the truth or validity of.

tact

skill and sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues.

trifling

unimportant or trivial.

turbulent

characterized by conflict, disorder, or confusion; not stable or calm.

acumen

the ability to make good judgments and take quick decisions.

antithesis

1. a person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else.
2. (in Hegelian philosophy) the negation of the thesis as the second stage in the process of dialectical reasoning.

ascribe

regard something as being due to (a cause)./assign

befuddled

cause to become unable to think clearly.

eschew

deliberately avoid using; abstain from.

esoteric

intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest.

evasive

tending to avoid commitment or self-revelation, especially by responding only indirectly.

exculpate

show or declare that (someone) is not guilty of wrongdoing.

expedite

make (an action or process) happen sooner or be accomplished more quickly.

fastidious

very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail.